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Wagoner County approves ARPA awards for three water projects, buys sheriff vehicle safety kit; larger requests tabled
Summary
The Wagoner County Board of County Commissioners voted Dec. 16 to award $583,044 in ARPA funds to three shovel-ready Rural Water District No. 4 projects, approved $23,075 for vehicle-mounted fire extinguishers and LED traffic lights for the sheriff’s office, and tabled a larger waterline project and a court-clerk digitization request for later review.
The Wagoner County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 16 approved use of American Rescue Plan Act funds for three shovel‑ready water‑infrastructure projects and for safety equipment for patrol vehicles, while tabling a larger waterline request and a separate court‑records digitization proposal.
Rachel Cooper told commissioners there is about $4.76 million available for ARPA allocation after recent adjustments and recommended prioritizing projects that make the county appear "shelf ready" for larger grant programs. After hearing from Rural Water District No. 4, the board voted to fund projects 2, 3 and 4 — emergency generators, river pump stabilization and water‑plant security/functional upgrades — with an aggregate ARPA award of $583,044. Thomas Faulk, business manager for Rural Water District No. 4, said the district serves about 45,000 people and described the projects as critical to public‑safety and system reliability: "We provide water to 45,000 people," Faulk said.
The board separately approved an ARPA request from the sheriff's office to equip patrol vehicles with two hard‑mounted rechargeable fire extinguishers per car and rechargeable LED traffic lights to replace disposable flares. Sheriff Chris Elliott and Mark Sechrist described the equipment as a life‑safety tool for deputies who are frequently first on scene at vehicle fires or roadside incidents. The state‑contract quote through Uline for extinguishers, mounts and lights was $23,075; commissioners approved the purchase.
Two larger requests were deferred. Commissioners voted to table the county court clerk’s request to digitize nearly a century of court records after the clerk said vendor quotes for scanning and processing totaled roughly $363,000 plus an additional processing estimate of about $132,000, and she asked for more time to identify how much ARPA encumbrance would be appropriate. Commissioners also tabled one larger Rural Water District No. 4 project — a 6‑inch to 12‑inch waterline shown on the paperwork as roughly $829,200 — and asked staff to return with additional documentation and bid detail.
What’s next: Staff said they will provide required bid documentation and supporting paperwork before funds are disbursed. Commissioners indicated they will consider a dedicated agenda item to authorize use of ARPA funds for the 273rd Street corridor project at a later meeting if they choose to proceed.
